Planning and Managing Communication

What it is

Communication is how information moves between people on the project. Project managers spend a very large share of their time communicating, and poor communication is a common root cause of project trouble.

Planning communication means deciding who needs what information, when, how and from whom. Managing it means delivering that information and checking that it was understood.

How it works

Communication basics

The basic model has a sender, a message, a medium and a receiver. The sender encodes the idea, and the receiver decodes it. Noise is anything that distorts the message, such as a poor connection, language differences, distraction or cultural assumptions.

Feedback closes the loop. Without it, the sender cannot tell whether the message was understood.

Communication methods

Interactive communication is the most effective for complex or sensitive topics, because it allows immediate questions. Push suits routine notices, and pull suits large amounts of material that people consult on demand.

Communication channels

The number of channels grows quickly as a group grows. The formula for the number of potential communication channels is n x (n - 1) / 2, where n is the number of people.

A team of 5 has 10 channels. If 3 more people join, the group has 8 people and 28 channels. This is why larger projects need a communication plan and structure.

The communication management plan

The plan sets out the communication requirements of stakeholders and the way to meet them. It usually records:

• the stakeholders and what information each needs;
• the content, format, language and level of detail;
• the method, such as meeting, report or dashboard;
• the frequency and timing;
• the sender and the person responsible for each item;
• an escalation path and the way to update the plan.

The stakeholder register and engagement analysis feed the plan. Factors that affect choices include urgency, the available technology, the team's skills, the project length and the working environment, such as a virtual or co-located team.

Managing communication

During delivery the project manager sends the planned information, collects feedback and watches for problems. Typical items are status reports, dashboards, meeting minutes, risk and issue updates and presentations. Active listening, clear writing and awareness of culture all help.

Virtual teams need extra care. Time zones, tools and language differences can create misunderstandings, so agree on meeting times, channels and norms.

Agile communication

Agile teams prefer face to face or direct conversation. Daily stand ups, sprint planning, sprint reviews and retrospectives provide regular, structured touchpoints.

Information radiators, such as task boards, burndown charts and dashboards, display progress openly so that anyone can see it without asking. A shared board is an example of the pull method.

Hybrid projects mix the two styles. Formal reports and milestone updates go to governance bodies, while the team keeps its boards and short meetings for daily coordination.

Checking effectiveness

The project manager monitors whether communication works. Signs of trouble include repeated questions, missed deadlines and surprised stakeholders. Surveys, direct feedback and observation can all be used, and the plan is updated when needs change.